Carseat Quandry: Part II

In Part I, I discussed some issues regarding universal child seat fitment and cooperation among automobile and child restraint manufacturers. The example happened to be about some new Volvo-branded child restraints that will be available in some countries later this year. It’s not clear if these child restraints are actually all that new or unique, let alone safer or easier to use than similar models already on the market. On the other hand, if Volvo has developed a new and improved fitment system unique to Volvo automobiles, that would be impressive, especially given that there was cooperation with a child restraint manufacturer.

This is the Quandry. Why don’t these companies work more closely together to make a system that is very easy to use and very difficult to misuse? Why don’t we have child restraints in the USA that simply “plug-in” and work? Wouldn’t it be great if we had child seats that could be installed tightly, without needing a 300 pound fireman to push it into the vehicle seat cushion so far that permanent gouges are left in the fabric? Wouldn’t it be great if the average parent could get a rock-solid installation of a 5-point harness child seat in just a few seconds, using only one hand and little effort? I give you the answer in video format:

So our new Quandry is this. We clearly have the technology. So, why do we still have so many kids improperly restrained and being seriously injured or killed in motor vehicle crashes? LATCH* could have put child passenger safety technicians out of work, or at least out of their volunteer work. Instead, it has only created more business. It didn’t have to be this way. It can still be fixed. If only the relevant manufacturers, retailers and regulators would watch this video…

*Europe made fewer concessions to manufacturers when the LATCH system was being developed in the late 1990s. Child restraints with rigid LATCH (known there as ISOFIX) are standard there. Today, 5-point harness models with rigid LATCH simply are not on the market in the USA, though we do have a couple boosters with this feature, like the Clek Olli/Oobr.

That is amazing. I played with an Isofix at my tech class (and gouged a three inch hole in my arm with it too!) but never got to install it. Aren’t most European seats designed like this? Why on earth wasn’t it required for our LATCH system? That surely would reduce misuse by more than half.

Sigh…. I love rigid LATCH attachments. Mind you, it’s not a perfect system because there are so many variables with seating positions, and placement of lower anchors. However, if CR manufacturers, vehicle manufacturers and NHTSA actually WORKED TOGETHER – it could be a whole lot better than it is right now. I have parents tell me all the time “This is Crazy!” when we teach them what it takes to get their carseat installed properly in their vehicle. And they’re right! It is crazy.
Rigid LATCH attachments won’t solve all our problems but it would solve many of them. The downside to this type of attachment is that is makes the seat heavy. And it’s costly. But so what? Seats are already heavy and expensive.
If I had *one* message for CR manufacturers it would be this: If you make CRs with ridid LATCH attachments – WE WILL BUY THEM!!!

Yup- it’s not a matter of one child seat company doing it; Britax and Baby Trend have tried. It would have to be mandated, as it should have been over 10 years ago. Plus, as you said, there would have to be more requirements on the positioning of anchors in vehicles together with mandatory compatibility testing (something presumably already being mandated anyway). So, yes, it could be done easily, if only the collective will was present. If all seats in the USA had ISOFIX, the costs would be a lot less because of economies of scale. When only one or two seats have it, they are naturally more expensive and less appealing to big retailers and consumers That’s why they end up being discontinued here.

I really wish they would release this in the US. I don’t think it would require as many changes as some people think when it comes to lower anchor locations. Some manufacturers like Hyundai still have in their car manuals that it is compatible with ISOFIX. I don’t remember when the 2 seats were out in the US with rigid LATCH but how were they advertised? I think if the companies put more out there about why they’re so easy to install like that more people would buy them.

I live in Europe, and it’s unfortunate, but I don’t think people take advantage of this feature. I notice so many kids in boosters from a very early age (no extended harnessing) and car seats installed loosely with a seatbelt.

That being said- can I take advantage of it? I’m here, and can shop. Is there a seat that is similar to the Nautilus or Frontier for my three and a half year old that uses rigid ISOFIX (so I can use it in our car here in Germany) and also rigid LATCH (so I can use it in our car in the US when we’re at home)? Is there such a perfect seat?

I don’t think car seat manufacturers pursue rigid LATCH attachments becauase of the varied LATCH anchor locations in all of the vehicles in North America. Even in “family” sedans, some back seats are so scooped out that the LATCH anchors are set inches above the bottom of the vehicle seat. How in the world would your Expressway ISOFIX fit in that situation? All in the name of our bum’s comfort, eh?

It *should* be as easy as plugging in the seat and going. I remember the hype about techs being put out of business by LATCH and chuckling because I heard the same thing when I was teaching computer classes–“The new teaching CDs are going to put us out of business!!” Yeah, no. No one will ever replace a good teacher–someone’s always gonna mess it up somewhere along the line (color me jaded).

Lol Heather, I don’t think you have a thing to worry about. Getting the government to make appropriate regulations and standards in conjunction with auto and child restraint manufacturers to fix all the issues with LATCH is little more than a dream. Sad, really, since it’s so pathetically simple and amazingly inexpensive compared to something like what it would take for a shuttle flight to update the Hubble. Oh wait, we’re DOING THAT!